Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Healthy Ageing with Grains and Legumes

By Julie Christy, Accredited Practising Dietitian

As Australia faces an ageing population, addressing health
issues associated with ageing is becoming increasingly important. While most older
Australians may understand they should be eating more fruit and vegetables for better
health, many may not also recognise that higher intakes of core grain foods (mostly
whole grain and high fibre) and legumes can be an effective strategy for
preventing and managing chronic disease as well as for promoting longevity. With
older Australians’ intakes of core grains and legumes falling below recommended
intakes, many are missing out on the benefits these foods offer for healthy
ageing.

How can grains and
legumes benefit older Australians?

With older Australians experiencing the highest incidence of
diet related chronic diseases – including heart disease, type 2 diabetes,
obesity and cancers, such as bowel cancer – understanding the most powerful dietary
strategies to reduce the risk of such diseases can help older Australians to make
the best choices for themselves.

While many are aware that plant based foods offer the
greatest protection against diet related diseases, it may come as a surprise that
a recent comprehensive review, the first of its kind which included a pooled
analysis of over 300 meta-analyses and systematic reviews, found that whole grain/high fibre grain
foods appear to offer the greatest protection against diet related disease out
of all plant based foods.(1)
This is not the first study to highlight the potential that whole grain and
high fibre foods can play against diet related diseases, as evidence based dietary
guidelines from around the world widely recommend a balanced diet, with core
grain foods (mostly whole grain and high fibre) and legumes being key components
in such recommendations. (2-8)

At the recent Oldways “Finding Common Ground” Conference, a team
of leading nutrition experts from a range of dietary research backgrounds
reached a consensus on the fundamental principles of healthy eating. According to
the OldwaysCommon Ground Consensus Statement,
a healthy dietary pattern is one that is high in plant based foods such as
whole grains and legumes, along with fruits, vegetables and nuts.(9) As part of this dietary
pattern, grains and legumes represent a rich source of nutrients such as fibre,
folate, thiamine, iron, magnesium and iodine(10) as well as protective
components like phytonutrients that are important for wellbeing over the lifespan.

Not
surprisingly, the benefits of incorporating grains and legumes into your diet extend
beyond simply reducing the risk of disease but also help to promote longevity. A
study from Harvard researchers found that people with the highest whole grain intakes had a 17% lower
risk of death from all causes and an 11–48% lower risk of disease-specific
mortality compared to people with the lowest intakes of whole grain.(11) Meanwhile, the role of legumes in contributing to a long
life has been observed in the diets of long-lived cultures such as the
Japanese, who regularly eat soy foods such as tofu, natto, and miso, and people
from the Mediterranean, where lentils, chickpeas, and white beans are important
components of the traditional diet.(12)

Despite these benefits, older Australians do not appear to
be achieving recommendations. The GLNC 2014 Consumption Study found that on
average, both men and women aged 51-70 years fell short of the daily core grain
serves recommended by the Australian Dietary Guidelines and they also fell
short of their 48g whole grain Daily Target Intake. Worryingly, the study also
found that only 25% of 51-70 year old Australians overall reported legume
consumption on one or both days of the survey. This suggests that older
Australians are at risk of missing out on key nutrients important for good
health and longevity.

Cultivating good
health with grains and legumes

Making just a few small changes can make a big difference to
the health of older Australians – eating 2-3 serves of whole grains daily can
reduce the risk of developing chronic disease by 20-30%,(13) whilst just a 20g
increase in daily legume intake can reduce the risk of death by 7-8%.(14) GLNC recommends that
all Australians, including older men and women, enjoy grain foods 3-4 times a
day, choosing at least half as whole grain or high fibre, and also aim to enjoy
legumes at least 2-3 times each week.

Overall, making healthy choices with core grains and legumes
as a priority in your diet is important to leading a long and healthy life. Simple
changes older Australians could make to improve their grain and legumes choices
toward meeting recommendations include: